Ladder



May 19, 1931.

LADDER.

Filed Oct. 5. 1928 H. H. BUSBY Q 1,806,145

Patente ay 39, @33.

n. BUSBY, or nvnns ron, rumors LADDER application filed. October 3, 1928. Serial No. 310,115.

This invention relates to ladders, and more particularly to a ladder specially adapted for use in stores and other establishments where articles or shelving.

In shoe stores, and manyother establishments, it is the common practice to store shoes or other articles of merchandise in suitable boxes or containers which are placed in tiers of shelving so as to be readily accessible when desired. To permit of ready removal and replacement of the boxes or containers from or on the higher shelves it is common practice to employ ladders which are supported by rollers to travel upon the floor and upon suitable rails or tracks secured to the shelving. These ladders necessarily occupy appreciable space and form an obstruction which interferes,

frequently, with ready passage to and fro along the shelving. Such ladders are also rather cumbersome and expensive.

As a general rule, in order to reach goods upon the higher shelves it is necessary for the clerk or other person desiring such goods provide a ladder of the character' s'tatedo which isof light weight and can be readily transported by hand from one position on the shelving to another position and quickly 40 secured thereon for use. 'Another object is to provide a ladder which, when in use, will occupy but little space and, when not In use, can be readily placed in a corner or similar restricted space where it will be out of the way. A further object of my invention is to provide a ladder. which can be readily produced at-small cost. Further ob ects and advanta es of my invention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

goods are stored upon Fig; 1 is a fragmentary front view of a tier of shelving illustrating my ladder as applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the securing pin.

Fig.4 is an enlarged detail of the securing eye.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a tier of shelving S comprising shelves at which are suitably supported and. braced, and a baseboard 6. These shelves are adapted for reception of boxes or containers a, such as shoe boxes.

My ladder is formed from a flat strip of material, such as strap iron, and includes an upper shank portion 1 which is turned over at its upper end and rounded toform a grip or handle 2. This strip or length of angle iron is bent transversely and in alternately opposite direction to form a substantially Z-shaped portion providing steps 3 which are connected by an inclined brace element 3a, this element connecting the outer end of the upper step 3 to the inner or rear-- Ward end of the lower step 3. The outer end of the lower step 3 is connected by an inclined brace element 3?) to a finger 4 which forms the lower terminal element of the ladder. The elements 3, and 3a and 3?), constitute the treads and risers, respectively, of the steps. This-finger 4 is adapted for insertion into a U-shaped keeper 4a having lateral extensions 46 secured by screws 6, or in any other suitable manner, to the base 5 of the. shelving or to any selected one. of the shelves a. A plate 5 is suitably secured to one of the shelves a, as bymeans of screws, above thekeejper 4a and carries an eye '7 which is vertically aligned with the keeper. This eye isv adapted to pass through any selected one of several slots 8 extending longitudinally of. shank'l. Opening or slot 7a of eye 7 is of proper length to receive a securing pin 91(Fig. 3) inserted through the eye and extending across the outer face of shank 1 transversely thereof.

' In using my ladder after it has been secured in position as described, handle 2 is grasped and the user ascends by means of the steps 3. In practice, I provide a plurality of pairs or sets of eyes 7 and members 4a disposed at suitable intervals along the shelving.

If the ladder is secured to the shelving at one location and it is desired to use it in another location, it can be readily removed by withdrawing the pin 9 and then raising the ladder and moving it away from the shelving so as to disengage it from the eye member 7 and member 4a. Being formed of strap metal, this ladder is very light and can be readily carried to the new location where it can be quickly applied and secured to the shelving in the manner previously described. When applied to the shelving the ladder projects but a slight distance beyond the same so as not to interfere materially with free passage to and fro alon the shelving and, when not in 'use, this ladder can be readily stored in a corner or other out-of-the-way p ace.

As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 1, the spacing of. the several slots 8 in shank 1 corresponds to the spacing of shelves a. This is advantageous in permitting of the eye members 7 being placed on any one of several of the shelves, as conditions may require.

While I have illustrated and described the ladder as being provided with but two steps, I do not limit myself to this number of steps since the length of material employed and the number of steps produced by bendmg thereof may be varied as desired. Also, I do not intend to in any way limit myself to mounting the ladder at the lower portion of the shelving since it may be mounted in other positions. In fact, if desired, it is perfectly feasible to provide several ladders arranged at different heights upon the shelving and in proper relation to permit a person to ascend, from a ladder at the lower portion of the shelving, to shelves at the top of the tier which could not be reached by using a single ladder only at the lower portion of the tier.

By this arrangement, it is feasible to employ my ladder in connection with shelving of unusual height. In the great majority'of cases,'however, a single ladder at the lower portion of the shelving, as illustrated, will be used most frequently.

By forming the ladder froma single length of strap iron or other suitable material, bent to provide the superposed steps,'it can be readily produced at small cost. The inclined brace elements 3a and 3b serve to effectively support the steps 3 at the outer ends thereof, and these steps are amply able to sup- Eortthe load to which they are subjected.

y bending the strip in the manner illustrat-. ed and described, the steps 3 are disposed so as to be all at the same side of the strip, thus cent the shelving, as illustrated.

What I claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a ladder formed from a flat strip of material bent transversely intermediate its ends and inalternatelyppposite directions forming superp'osed steps, saidstrip being extended above and below the steps and such extensions being disposed substantially in a common plane, said steps being disposed directly above one another.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a ladder formed from a flat strip of material bent transversely intermediate its ends into substantially Z-shape forming a pair of superposed steps, the strip being extended above the steps to provide a shank and below the steps to provide a finger, the shank and the finger being disposed substantially in a common plane and the steps being disposed one directly above the other. i

3. As a new article of manufacture,a ladder formed from a strip of material provided at its upperend with a shank and at its lower end witha finger, said shank and finger being disposed in a common plane and the intermediate portion of the strip being bent to provide steps comprising treads disposed substantially at right angles to said plane and at one side thereof, and risers inpermitting the ladder to be disposed adjaclined to the plane of the finger and the shank and connecting the treads'of certain of the steps and the tread of the lowermost step and the finger.

4. In combination, a supporting structure, and a ladder attached at its ends to said structure and fitting fiat against the same, the intermediate portion of the ladder being shaped to provide steps comprising treads projecting outwardly from the supporting structure substantially at right angles thereto and risers inclined downwardly and inwardly toward the supporting structure 'from the outer edges of the treads, the risers bearing attheir lower ends against said supporting structure.

5. In combination, a supporting structure, and a ladder formed from a flat strip of material fitting flat against said structure and provided at its upper endrwith a shank and at its lower end with a finger, the shank and the finger fitting fiat against the supporting structure, said strip being bent transversely between the shank and the finger to provide a series of steps, comprising treads and risers, the treads of the steps projecting outwardly awayfrom the supporting structure substantially at right angles thereto, andthe risers being inclined downwardly and inwardly to ward the supporting structure, and bearing at their lower ends against said supporting structure. 4

and a ladder comprising a fiat strip of material shaped to provide a plurality of steps groj eating outwardly from said structure and isposed ireotl; above one another, the portions of the strip joining the steps bearing 5 against the supporting structure andbracing the steps against downward movement under load imposed thereon.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th dlafljof Se tember, 1928.

10 NR H. BUSBY. 

